Meet the New Generals in the Streaming Wars: Our 2025 Episodic Directing Lab Fellows
Breaking down a script, working with actors, shot listing, guiding the edit – all crucial tasks for a director, but in the TV world, that’s just the start. TV directors have the unique challenge of having to put a personal touch on a long running story, while collaborating not only with the executives, cast and crew, but also the showrunner.
Oh and did you know, TV is becoming more cinematic, (just look at the amazing shows we honored at the Spirit Awards this year), Yes it’s great for us at home, but for those hard working TV directors, it still requires creating tens of hours of content per season, and usually at a budget that would make a studio director cry.
Beating the odds is something that indie filmmakers are used to, and that’s why it just makes sense that the Film Independent Episodic Directing Intensive brings together some seriously talented Fellows, and some of the biggest names in the TV industry, including Christian Alvarez, Jen Arnold, Pete Chatmon, Bruce Francis Cole, Julia Dillard, Paola Franco, Alex O’ Flinn, Sonia Gambaro, Rachel Goldberg, Liz Kelly, Maggie Kiley, Leonardo Nam, Shari Page, Beth Schacter and Rina Varughese.
“We are thrilled to support this incredible cohort of directors,” said Dea Vazquez, Associate Director of Fiction Programs. “We know each of them has the experience and talent necessary to hit the ground running and we are proud to provide the tools necessary for them to successfully make the exciting and challenging leap into episodic directing.”
Without further ado, let’s meet the 2025 Film Independent Episodic Directing Intensive Fellows:
DEBORAH RILEY DRAPER
Deborah Riley Draper is an award-winning filmmaker who has been recognized by Variety Magazine as one of their “Top 10 Documakers to Watch.” She is the director and executive producer of the August 2024 CBS/Paramount+ documentary 13 Days in Ferguson, which revisits the tragic days following the killing of Michael Brown. Additionally, Deborah directed The Legacy of Black Wall Street for OWN/Discovery+, earning an NAACP Image Awards nomination for Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Television).
LAURA MOSS
Laura Moss is a filmmaker from NYC. Their work has screened at Sundance, Tribeca, Rotterdam and SXSW, and they were one of Indiewire’s “10 LGTBTQ Creators on the Rise” in 2023. Their feature debut, birth/rebirth, premiered in the Midnight section at Sundance 2023. It was distributed theatrically by IFC and Focus/Universal and was nominated for three Film Independent Spirit Awards. Their short film Fry Day premiered at SXSW, was featured as a Vimeo Staff Pick and is currently on the Criterion Channel, paired with the classic satire, Man Bites Dog.
MARY DAUTERMAN
Mary Dauterman is a writer-director from Texas based in Brooklyn. Her debut feature Booger, a body horror comedy, premiered at Fantasia in 2023 and was supported by Tribeca Creators Market and Film Independent. Booger was released theatrically by Dark Sky Films. Her shorts have been selected for multiple Vimeo Staff Picks, screened at 30+ festivals and on Hulu, NoBudge, Vulture and Booooooom. She has written and directed projects for Adult Swim, published kids’ books that aren’t for kids and directed some decent commercials.
SHERIDAN O’DONNELL
Sheridan O’Donnell is a low-vision, Korean American director based in Los Angeles. His feature debut Little Brother, starring J.K. Simmons, won the Audience Award at the 2023 Atlanta Film Festival and was distributed by Gravitas Ventures. A 2023 Inevitable Foundation Accelerate Fellow, O’Donnell is being mentored by Alex Garland, Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Ahn. Vince Gilligan has taken him under his wing, inviting him to shadow on his new Apple series.
SHUCHI TALATI
Shuchi Talati is a filmmaker from India whose work challenges dominant narratives around gender, sexuality and South Asian identity. Her feature film, Girls Will Be Girls, premiered at Sundance, where it won an Audience Award and a Special Jury Award. Shuchi recently won the John Cassavetes Award at the Film Independent Spirit Awards and was nominated as a Breakthrough Director at the Gothams. Her previous short film, A Period Piece, premiered at SXSW. Shuchi is an alum of AFI and Berlinale Talents.
V.T. NAYANI
V.T. Nayani is a director, performer and writer, whose work explores how we continuously come of age. She is an alumn of Film Independent’s Episodic Lab (’24), the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television’s Directors Program for Women (‘22) and the Canadian Film Centre’s Directors’ Lab (‘21). Nayani’s award-winning feature directorial debut, This Place, premiered at TIFF (’22) and has since screened globally. She is currently in development for her sophomore feature and two original series.
The Episodic Directing Intensive is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts. Film Independent Artist Development promotes unique independent voices by helping filmmakers create and advance new work. To become a Member of Film Independent, just click here. To support us with a donation, click here.
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